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Did Sony done it again? In the wake of the triumph of Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, which brought in over $600 million globally, the new movie Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc has reached beyond the $100 million milestone globally, reaching a worldwide gross of $108M this weekend. The film outperformed Black Phone 2 (almost $13 million) in its second weekend in cinemas, as well as the film Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere with Jeremy Allen White (nine million dollars).

Impressive U.S. and International Results

The work of filmmaker Tatsuya Yoshihara, the film is a direct continuation of Chainsaw Man’s first season. It grossed over $18 million in the U.S. after a powerful $5.2M Saturday box office and four-point-five-million-dollar Sunday. Globally, the produced by MAPPA feature grossed $14.7 million across 46 Sony markets, pushing its worldwide total to $60.4M through Sony distribution (over $43 million abroad, $18.2 million stateside). Official totals are still pending from Sony its complete box office tally.

Benchmarks to Past Successful Anime Films

Anime marketing agency an industry expert noted in prior discussions, contrasting the movie's expected results to the anime hit Jujutsu Kaisen 0, which grossed thirty-four million dollars in the domestic market in 2022 and started with a similar eighteen million dollars in the U.S.. Reze Arc’s debut weekend is in line with that standard, while its $108 million global gross presently stands a bit short of that movie's $166.6M overall box office. Even if it doesn't seem possible this Chainsaw Man film will match the box office of mega hit Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle, this is still a major victory for the distributor.

Fan Engagement Campaigns Drive Box Office Dominance

Sony and its subsidiary the anime streaming service Crunchyroll have successfully utilized community involvement to boost their supremacy at the anime box office. The Reze Arc promotional efforts launched at Anime Expo Los Angeles in July with a MAPPA panel, special events, and Pochita-themed pictures, followed by a major presence at the New York Comic Con including exclusive clips, audience giveaways, and further MAPPA discussions. Moreover, organizers held an exclusive fan screening for moviegoers and influencers alike after the concluding day of the convention.

What’s Next

This year marks a big year for Japanese animation, and for the company, which has one more feature-length anime premiering in the coming months in Jujutsu Kaisen: Execution in the month of November.